Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Children and Tithing

I have the new scripture mastery card and they are all new ones. It is cool. Thanks for answers for my question. I did know that it was easier for people to repent here on earth with those conflicts that we have to deal with, but what I don't understand is what if you never received the gospel here on earth. So you never received a testimony of Christ in the flesh? Then what? I understand that God is fair, but the scriptures don't lie.

I talked to my district leader about intelligences. He believes that we have first an intelligence than a spirit and then a body. So we still have intelligence but we also have a spirit and a body, each one makes it so we can progress more and more. I will read the D&C scripture thanks Ben.

We had a baptism this week for A. She is 9 years old. She was very excited but her attention span is about 5 min so she was crawling on the floor after the baptism when there were talks. It was kinda funny to see the adults try to deal with her. I have learned how to deal with those kids. You just have to have patience. Also would you thank the Chapman kids for me. I have learned so much better how to have kids enjoy experiences and enjoy your presence. (Some missionaries don't know how to deal with them in a fun way. They just get frustrated when they do not cling to every word.) I have learned this by babysitting the Chapmans. I have learned a valuable skill that I am so glad that I have. I think it will help me throughout my life. I have a much greater love for children. Other ways that this helps. 1) the parents trust you a lot more when their kids like you. The kids are a lot easier to gain trust than the parents 2) the kids listen to you so much better when you make it fun for them.

Question for you Ben.

How do you teach the law of chastity to kids?

What we do is:

"Don't think about (point at your head), don't look at (point at your eyes), don't talk about (point at your mouth) and don't touch (put your hands out) anything that is under the swimsuit. and that is about it. If you have any questions talk to your parents."

We call it the swimsuit rule.

This is how I was taught by my trainer and how every one in the whole mission does it, but if that was me I would be confused as a 9 year old. I think that there are better ways but I cant figure it out. What does your mission do?

I love teaching about tithing.

I use Leviticus ch 27 v 30: And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land,or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord.

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Then, if they are worried about not being able to pay it I use the story of Elijah:

8 And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying,9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.16 And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:8-16).

Why would a prophet of God be so inconsiderate of the women and her child? Why must he be feed first? How would you feel? You have one meal left and a man of God says to her, feed me. Then if you feed me then you meal will not waste. so relating that to tithing. you can't make the payments now and you say. How does the Lord expect me to pay him tithing and I can't even pay tithing now? That seems like a bad God. (Then they say something like I will pay it when I can) now back to the story. The woman knew she could not live much longer (can't pay the rent) and she is supposed to now feed someone else as well (pay tithing) how does that work? the Lord works by miracles if we have the faith that he will help us in our time of need.

Then we get extra blessings. Later her son dies.

17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. (1 Kings 17:17).

So Elijah raises him from the dead.

22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.23 And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth. (1 Kings 17:22-23).

So many blessing come from tithing. It is one of the coolest commandments because you can see first hand the blessings it provides.

Quick story I sometimes tell you look at you fireplace and say, "When you give me heat I will give you wood." And then the fireplace tells you, "When you give me wood I will give you heat."

This is a huge commandment of faith.

I hope that all makes sense. I don't really have any time to check if it does. It is a lot easier to teach it then to write it all down. :)

Also watch: "Lessons I Learned as a Boy" this was taken in my area really close to our bishop. If you look close you can see faded houses in the distance that is most of my area. I thought that was cool. I have ridden on that dirt rode with my bike that they show in the movie.

Elder Joshua Walker

The Missionary

About Elder Walker

Elder Joshua Walker is serving in the Utah Salt Lake City South Mission (English speaking) for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from January 2013 - January 2015. He's from Modesto, CA and studied at BYU-Idaho.

The Utah Salt Lake City South Mission

Utah Salt Lake City South Mission Website

The Utah Salt Lake City South Mission has a website here that has pictures of the mission. Keep your eyes open for Elder Walker when he's in the field!